Sleigh Wash
by milkteamermaid
Summary: It's been a week since Kristoff and Anna have saved the day, but, they have still not discussed their growing feelings of doubt and, could it be, love? Then, one day, as Kristoff is working on his new sleigh, and an opportunity to talk presents itself.


Kristoff, Arendelle Ice Master and Deliverer, stood out back of the castle grounds, polishing his brand new sleigh with a cloth. The sun was high in the sky as he brushed the golden hair from his sweating brow. The light glittered off the slick wood as he worked. It had long since been shined to perfection, he had been working on it for nearly an hour, and, that was just today.

The sleigh had been his distraction for the last few days. Since they had returned to Arendelle a week ago, things had been steadily busy for Anna and Queen Elsa. The people had come to love their Queen again after they realized she wasn't the monster she appeared to be. Han's plot had been revealed and he had been dispatched, leaving Elsa to do damage control and resume official business, with Anna happily assisting her along the way. Kristoff was glad to see Anna bonding with the sister she had missed for so many years, and who she fought so hard for.

But, he had to admit, he's felt rather useless lately. Polishing the sleigh at least made him feel like he was doing something, and it had the added bonus of reminding him of the girl who gave it to him. When Anna had made good on her promise, which he had honestly forgotten until that moment, they had shared their first, and, thus far, only kiss.

Kristoff had been wanting to kiss her again ever since, but, they had barely been alone after that. As he sliped his cloth across the wooden body of the sleigh, he wished instead he was caressing Anna. He shook his head distractedly.

When they were on the mountain, when he could help her and protect her, he felt like he had purpose, but, he was useless with these royal affairs. The kingdom was a bit put off of ice for the moment, understandably so, and his business was at a stand still. So far his official duties as Ice Master were to try to keep busy having the cleanest transport in the kingdom.

"I'm glad you seem to like it so much," came Anna's voice from behind him.

Kristoff smiled widely, but, did not yet turn around.

Anna threw her arms around his broad waist and squeezed excitedly.

"Long time no see, Princess," he said, dropping his cloth to cover her small hands with his large ones.

Anna nuzzled her face between his shoulders, "I know, I'm sorry. I've been so busy helping Elsa I haven't spent enough time with you. I'm sure you're so bored here," she said guiltily.

Kristoff broke her embrace to turn and face her, "No, no, don't appologize. You're been doing your duty. Me and Sven have been just fine, enjoying our new ride."

Anna beamed up at him, "If you say so. I'm lucky to have a patient fellow like you around."

Kristoff reached out a hand to brush a stray hair behind her ear. Her face was warm under his fingers, and she blushed as they slid over her porceline skin. It had been so long since they had a moment alone...

Anna felt her face flushing under Kristoff's hand. She felt the wind of a thousand butterfly wings in her stomach.

She had missed him more than she could explain. She had only known him a week and a few days, but, sometime between their arangement on the mountain and them making it back home, a feeling for him had grown in her heart. She had spent all this time on important royal duties, but, her mind had honestly not been fully there, a part of it was always wandering to Kristoff.

The sudden rush of feeling made her feel awkward in his gaze. She turned away to walk to the sleigh, running her hand purposefully along the finish.

"Wow, I didn't know it could be any more shiny!" She said a little too loudly in her nervousness.

Kristoff moved to stand next to her, facing the sleigh as well, "It's really the most amazing thing I've ever seen, well... the second most amazing thing."

Anna felt her face burning again.

"Oh, you," she said and playfully punched him on the forearm.

Kristoff was sliding his had across the wood in unison with her, his fingers getting closer to hers until they brushed.

Anna didn't know why her nerves were so overwhelming her. Maybe it had something to do with the intrusive thoughts she'd been having lately about how she had broken her curse. Giving her life for her sister's had been an act of true love. She had thought that Hans was her true love, but, it turned out her was using her all along and left her to die. Then, she had thought maybe Kristoff... but she saved herself after all. A part of Anna in a sad place of her mind had begun to worry that maybe she didn't have a true love... but then, why were her feelings for Kristoff getting harder and harder to control?

Kristoff seemed to sense her anxiety.

"Why don't you take a seat?" he said, "Take a load off from all that hard work."

Anna smiled and climbed inside to sit on the plush leather seat. Kristoff slid in after her.

Anna seemed so tense. He worried if maybe she was nervous around him now because of the time appart, or, something else.

He hadn't worried about it outloud, not even to Sven, but, he hadn't been able to reach her in time to break the curse. Sure, she had broken it herself, of course she had, she was the most determined person he'd ever known, but... what did it mean? Could it be that he didn't deserve to be her true love? He had let her go at first. He had sent her to Hans. If Sven hadn't sent him back... but, still, it hadn't mattered.

Here he was, once again sitting in the front seat with a girl who drove him crazy in every which way imaginable. A girl who was going to marry a man she had just met when he first met her, and, he made her nervous. In a week they'd shared one kiss. He had never been one to believe in rushing things, but, for some reason, she made him want more. And more. And soon.

He felt the possibility that she had time to recover from their adventure and realized she had just been caught up in the moment. Caught up in her gratitude and happiness to have her sister back. Maybe the week had made her realize that she didn't really feel that much for him.

Still, just being there with her brought back a flood of memories of their journey, and, his patience finally reached its limit, he had to know whether there was hope. If there wasn't, he could take the sleigh today up the mountain and try to forget. But, if there was hope...

He stretched his arm up and around her shoulders and squeezed her gently. To his relief, she leaned into him, bringing her arm in to cup his knee delicately, her head resting on his chest. His hear began to beat harder.

"Anna," he began, "I did miss you."

She tightened her grip a bit around his knee as she spoke, "I missed you too, Kristoff."

"I've..." he began, "I've been thinking of you every day since we got back."

She nuzzled her head against him, and giggled, "Me too."

Kristoff brought his over hand up to cup her chin gently and tilt it up to look at him. Her eyes were wet and wide, her lips slightly apart and her breath warm.

"That's not true, actually, I've been thinking about you every moment since I left you in Arendelle. I never should have left you. I should have fought for you..."

"But, you came back!" Anna cut him off, "You didn't leave me forever. You thought... we all thought..."

"I didn't save you though," he held the side of her beautiful face like she was a savior he didn't deserve, "I could have if I had just stayed."

Anna brought her own hand to his face, and sat back, her eyes fierce and her chin quivering, "Stop. Don't talk like that. Everything is fine. I lived. Elsa is okay again. You have your sleigh. Everything can go back to normal now. Maybe better!"

Kristoff looked at the face of the girl who he considered the bravest person he ever met. He pulled her closer and twined his fingers into her hair, "I don't think anything can ever be normal again. Everything is changed. It's changed because I love you, Anna, and it's only been a week but, I do. I love you. And you've changed everything in my life."

Anna wound her arms around Krisoff's neck, "Oh, Kristoff... I love you too. Truely love you. And I know it's true because I feel you in my heart, always, for the first time in forever I feel like everything is exactly as it should have always been!"

He didn't ask, this time, he leaned down to her lips and she leaned up to his, and they kissed there as though it was the beggining of something that would last forever.

When they pulled appart, they both smiled and all the doubt was gone.

"So," Kristoff said with a grin, "Want to take this sleigh for a spin?"


End file.
